A South Florida business owner says thieves targeted his business in the middle of the night, stealing one of their semi-tractor trailers with expensive race cars, parts and gear inside worth about $1.5 million. NBC6’s Niko Clemmons reports
A South Florida business owner says thieves targeted his business in the middle of the night, stealing one of their semi-tractor trailers with expensive race cars, parts and gear inside worth about $1.5 million.
Justin Bellinzoni, the owner of Rennsport-one, a Porsche race facility in Pompano Beach, said on early Sunday morning, two people drove onto their parking lot and then left. About 20 minutes later, someone drove off with one of their race trailers.
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“I thought it was a bad dream, and I just wanted to wake up,” Bellinzoni said.
Inside the trailer were four expensive Porsche race cars they used to compete professionally around the country, including car parts and gear. If you add it all up, there's about $1.5 million inside the trailer, Bellinzoni said.
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“I was gutted man, we work really hard for what we do and we need these cars to compete and we have commitments to our customers and obligations to fulfill, and to see cars disappear it – was gut-wrenching,” Bellinzoni said. “When something like this happens, it stings hard because we're so engaged into this emotionally.”
Bellinzoni hired a private investigator and they started searching high and low. They had a GPS tracker on the trailer, which led them to Redland, but they had no luck. However, on Monday, Bellinzoni said Miami-Dade Police found the tractor in Homestead but not the trailer.
“It's somewhere in South Florida, that's all I know,” Bellinzoni said. “This is a big wrench in our plans and we're trying to find out alternatives to fulfill our commitments to our customers.”
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Bellinzoni knows time isn't on their side, which is why he won't stop.
“Justice would be great, but I believe in forgiveness and people make mistakes," he said. "We just really want back our stuff so we can finish the obligations and commitments we have with our customers."
The Broward Sheriff's Office came out Wednesday afternoon to take photos and dust for fingerprints on the tractor that was recovered.
Anyone with information is asked to call Broward Crime Stopper and 954-493-TIPS.
